


stolen time

by bazzaya



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst, Canon Compliant, Crimson Flower, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Late Night Conversations, Post-Canon, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, Scars, Spoilers, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 06:42:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bazzaya/pseuds/bazzaya
Summary: As the sun goes down, so do their masks, and their walls.Or, the five times Lysithea visits Edelgard in the middle of the night and the one time Edelgard visits Lysithea.





	stolen time

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be a small cute 5+1 trope WHY is this 10k words 
> 
> anyways enjoy
> 
> for the sake of this fic pretend that lysithea is 15 at the start of the game

_ One. _

Lysithea isn’t quite sure what to make of a request like the one she’s received.

It’s her first week in the Black Eagles house after transferring from the Golden Deer, and Lysithea receives word through Hubert that Edelgard wants Lysithea to visit her at her earliest convenience that evening after dinner. A request like that is out of the blue, and she doesn’t know what Edelgard’s aim is.

Is she going to interrogate her and see if she’s truly worthy to be in the class? Worse, is she going to be like Linhardt and taunt her about her secret? That encounter alone made Lysithea want to switch back to the Golden Deer house, but when she moved classes to receive the best education she can get out of the Officers’ Academy, she knows she can’t return to the Golden Deer. As it stands, Professor Byleth offers Lysithea the greatest opportunity, and Lysithea weighs her education as more important than whatever interactions she has with the other students.

Lysithea arrives at Edelgard’s quarters at her ‘earliest convenience,’ which is a little later than she intends— her studies take first priority, and it’s fairly late into the evening by the time she reaches the place she wants to be in her readings. Still, Lysithea would much rather visit Edelgard’s quarters a little later than socially acceptable than to burden herself with Hubert’s admonishment the next day. He was rather clear that Edelgard wanted to meet with her as soon as was possible.

After Lysithea knocks at the door, only a few moments pass before it opens and reveals Edelgard, still as put together as she was earlier in the day despite the late hour. 

“Oh, Lysithea,” Edelgard says, and she smooths out the front of her blouse. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t be able to make it. I’m glad to see you.”

“This was my earliest convenience, sorry,” Lysithea says bluntly.

“That’s fine. I was rather preoccupied throughout the day too,” Edelgard doesn’t seem fazed by that bluntness. She takes a step back and gestures inside. “Please, come in.”

Lysithea feels her shoulders tense as she walks inside. Numerous candles are lit by Edelgard’s desk, and she can see how the chair is a little askew, as if she had just stood up from it to answer the door. Books and parchment lay on her desk, and Lysithea can smell fresh ink.

“So,” Lysithea says, giving the room one last glance-over before looking back at Edelgard. “Why did you want to see me?” she asks, her tone wary.

Edelgard flashes a civil smile to try and ease Lysithea’s suspicions. “I just wanted to see if you were enjoying your time so far with the Black Eagles. You’re our first transfer, so I wanted to make sure you’ve felt welcomed here.”

Lysithea raises an eyebrow dryly. “I’ve been fine. Thanks.”

Edelgard nods slowly, frowning at Lysithea’s bristle. “I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been avoiding Linhardt. Is everything all right?”

“He cornered me about something personal,” Lysithea sneers, crossing her arms. “I don’t want him to bother me anymore, so I’ve been making a point to stay away from him.”

“I’m awfully sorry that happened,” Edelgard’s frown deepens, and she sets a hand under her chin in thought. “Would you like me to talk to him about it?”

“I don’t need you to fight my battles.”

“I know quite well that you don’t, which is why I ask permission. I’m only interested in using my position as class leader to speak to him since I owe a responsibility to all our classmates to make sure they’re comfortable, not because I believe you to be incapable of approaching him yourself,” Edelgard says. 

Lysithea lets out a breath and glances away, finding it difficult to argue with logic like that. “For now I’ll pass, but if he pulls a stunt like that again, I might put that responsibility of yours to the test.”

Edelgard smiles again, knowing that’s the closest she’s going to get to a ‘yes.’ “Why, of course. I expect nothing less. Have you been enjoying the class so far?”

“I’m already learning a lot more in this class than in my old one, so yes, I have been,” Lysithea says, her shoulders relaxing a little.

“I’m happy to hear it,” Edelgard’s smile grows. “If you wished to join our house for a robust educational experience, I will do my best to make sure you receive it.”

Lysithea shifts on her feet, pursing her lips. “I don’t need special treatment, really. It’s fine.”

Edelgard shakes her head and takes a step closer, moving so that Lysithea can see her eyes more clearly. “Don’t misunderstand me now. I’m only doing my job as class leader to make sure everyone gets what they want out of their time here at the monastery. I do this for everyone in our class. However, I will leave you to it if that is what you wish,” she says sincerely.

It’s hard to miss the sincerity in Edelgard’s eyes. Yet, Lysithea keeps searching Edelgard’s eyes for some sort of answer. She notices how the color to Edelgard’s lavender eyes seem so… muted. She’s rarely seen purple eyes in people before, and from those few cases she has, Lysithea’s sure that the color didn’t look as pale as Edelgard’s does right now. 

“...Right,” Lysithea eventually says. “Well, I wouldn’t want to step on your toes. You can do what you want. I’m fine with it.”

Edelgard nods her head in understanding, looking Lysithea over. Her eyes linger on Lysithea’s hair for a beat longer than intended, but she returns her gaze to Lysithea’s eyes before too long. “I’m glad to have you with us, Lysithea. I’m looking forward to working together with you this year. I hope we can become strong allies,” she says, and she holds out her hand to Lysithea.

There’s something to Edelgard’s words that sound vague, and there’s a force behind her words that suggest a different meaning. Yet Lysithea keeps her expression level and doesn’t let her observations show. She nods her head to Edelgard’s words and flashes a smile. “The same goes to you too,” she responds, taking Edelgard’s gloved hand and shaking it.

“You don't seem like the type to ask others for help, but if you ever find yourself needing aid, I'll be happy to give it,” Edelgard grins. “Thank you for agreeing to visit me. I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience.”

Lysithea shakes her head slowly. “It’s fine. I’ll see myself out now. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, until then,” Edelgard nods.

Lysithea turns around then and lets herself out of Edelgard’s room, closing the door behind her. She lingers in front of Edelgard’s door, letting her facade fall and furrowing her eyebrows from suspicion. She can just tell from Edelgard’s aura that she knows far more than she’s willing to let on, and Lysithea starts to wonder if that includes her secret. She has trouble drawing the line between what’s truly Edelgard’s responsibility as house leader and what she’s doing of her own accord. Edelgard bringing up Linhardt couldn’t be more than a coincidence. She knows, and she’s just hiding it behind her convenient position as house leader.

And yet, those pale eyes and her platinum hair… It couldn’t be possible, could it? But her case seems less severe than Lysithea’s… Edelgard is the strongest person in their house, but Lysithea is easily the most physically frail. And Lysithea’s changes in hair and eye color are far more drastic, whereas Edelgard’s seems simply muted…

But even with these differences, Lysithea can’t shake the possibility from her mind. She had her suspicions before, as she does with whoever she sees with white hair at a young age, but being in the same class as Edelgard only raises more questions than answers.

Could a princess of the Empire really have been subjected to the same tortures by the Imperial nobles that someone of the Alliance had?

* * *

_Two. _

Following Edelgard feels completely…natural.

At first, Lysithea feels a surge of rage when Edelgard corners them all in the Holy Tomb, daring to raise arms against her own classmates. She feels betrayed, like every word that has come from Edelgard’s lips has been a complete and utter lie. That her warm welcome was nothing but a facade, and Edelgard was just trying to earn Lysithea’s trust to gain access to her Crests. She fights alongside the professor to stop Edelgard from stealing the Crest Stones, but then everything unravels from there.

The Professor sides with Edelgard, and incurs the wrath of Rhea’s true form.

Then Lysithea wonders if her first judgment of Edelgard was too hasty as she stares down the Immaculate One, knowing that if the Church harbors secrets as heinous as this, then Edelgard certainly has her reasons for betrayal.

That, plus a fear for her own life causes Lysithea to run with the rest of the Black Eagles into the range of Hubert’s magic, and the next thing Lysithea knows, she’s transported out of the tomb, into safety.

And then everything is quiet. Very few of her questions are answered, and it seems like too much time passes being kept in the dark. Lysithea decides to take matters into her own hands one night, and she visits Edelgard’s quarters in their temporary encampment, seeking the answers she’s been denied.

Soldiers guard the door to Edelgard’s room, but once Lysithea announces her presence, Edelgard orders that she be allowed in, and in private.

“Lysithea…” Edelgard says once the door is closed, and they’re alone. “I will admit, I’m rather…surprised you stayed with us.”

“Did you really expect me to stay behind with that huge monster at the monastery?” Lysithea responds, refusing to budge from her mission to get answers.

“I suppose not,” Edelgard says with a deep exhale. She shouldn’t have been so surprised to hear Lysithea’s prickliness.

“Why are you doing this, Edelgard?” Lysithea asks. “What could have led you to make the Church of Seiros your enemy?”

Edelgard’s neutral expression hardens under Lysithea’s questioning. “The Church of Seiros is the reason for the imbalance between nobility and commoners. Or, if you would rather simplify things further, they’re the reason for the imbalance between those who have Crests and those who do not. If we do away with the Church, we can work to erase the inequality that its legacy has entrenched in Fódlan.”

Lysithea’s eyes widen, and she feels her steeled composure unravel. Any of her own assumptions about Edelgard’s motives crumble on the spot as she realizes how wrong she had pictured this whole situation. “Is that true?” she asks, her mouth agape in shock.

Edelgard nods her head, determination written out on her features. “Yes, Lysithea. The Church of Seiros derives its power and influence over Fódlan through the nobility, and the nobility is only distinguished from commoners through Crests. As long as the Church of Seiros still stands, an unfair advantage will be given to those with Crests in this society, and people will continue to suffer because of Crests.”

A few moments pass before Lysithea can bring herself to respond. Her gaze flits across the ground as she lets the information settle in, but once it begins to register in her mind and she can level her head enough to think, her answer is almost immediate. “Then you have me and my family’s support. I agree— with all of it. If it’s as you say, and the Church is the cause of this problem… then it must be eliminated, and I will help you destroy it.”

Even though Edelgard had assumed Lysithea would see eye to eye with her about Crests, Lysithea’s quick pledge of loyalty to her still catches her off-guard. “Is that truly what you wish…?” she asks, almost in a stammer. “You still have a chance to walk away from all of this. You aren’t obligated to follow me in this war. Your territory’s support is more than I could ask—”

“I think we both know that I can’t walk away from all of this, when this is our mission,” Lysithea says, stepping closer and preparing herself to ask. “Edelgard. You speak of all of this like it’s personal. I will only ask you this once, but… did they… were you forced to undergo the same experiments as I was?”

Edelgard forces a smile and shakes her head. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

“Your hair, your eyes, even your same hatred of Crests…” Lysithea begins, tilting her head. “This can’t be a coincidence, can it? They weren’t always that color, were they?”

Edelgard lowers her gaze to the ground and swallows, the dryness in her throat starting to hurt. She can’t bring herself to admit the words themselves, but she shakes her head slowly, giving her answer.

Lysithea’s expression softens out of sympathy, the confirmation affecting her more than she expects it to. She turns her hands over and projects the images of her Crests from her palms: the Minor Crest of Charon in her left, and the Major Crest of Gloucester in her right. “When the Empire killed and replaced many of the officials in House Ordelia after the 1167 rebellion, those Imperial nobles were the ones who put me and my siblings under their experiments. I was barely three by the time the experiments started… and I was the eldest sibling. My younger sister wasn’t even two, and my youngest brothers were newborns.”

Edelgard closes her eyes and feels her lips pull downward into a frown. The timeline snaps together easily in her mind. “Your family was the prototype for the experiments that would later be forced on mine.”

“That must be why your condition is better than mine,” Lysithea mumbles. “The Imperial nobles abandoned House Ordelia when they realized how I will never be fully alive after having two Crests implanted in me.”

“They implanted two…?” Edelgard asks, her eyes widening. “The strain of just _ one _ blood reconstruction surgery is unmanageable. How did you survive _ two_?”

Lysithea shrugs emptily. “I don’t know why I lived. All I know is that there was something different about me that made me the sole survivor among my siblings.”

“I’m so sorry,” Edelgard whispers, and she reaches out, her movement so hesitant it almost looks as if she flinches, before she sets her hand on Lysithea’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry you got wrapped up in all of this.”

Lysithea’s shoulders relax under Edelgard’s touch, and she looks away. “You make it sound as if you didn’t go through the same, against your will.”

Edelgard adjusts her grip on Lysithea’s shoulder, moving from a gentle touch to a reaffirming squeeze. “This is why I must fight this war. No one will have to endure what we did once this war is won. Will you fight this battle with me?”

Lysithea turns her head to meet Edelgard’s gaze, and she finds Edelgard’s eyes staring at her with a fierce determination, yet deep within her irises, Lysithea can still see that sympathy and hurt. Letting out a breath, Lysithea finds the strength within herself to return that determination, and she reaches up to set her hand over Edelgard’s gloved one upon her shoulders. “I pledge my life to your cause, however short it may be.”

And as Lysithea stands there, her eyes locked with Edelgard’s own, she discovers how natural it feels to throw away everything she’s known just to follow Edelgard’s dreams. It’s like she almost loses herself to idealism, chasing a reality that seems too unrealistic given their world, but Edelgard’s touch is grounding.

And Lysithea has faith that Edelgard will be the change this world needs.

* * *

_Three. _

The years at war pass faster than Lysithea expects. It’s already been over three years since the Holy Tomb, and she’s been fighting alongside the other members of the Black Eagle Strike Force to keep an advantage across Fódlan. 

Some of the most recent military operations have put House Gloucester into a rather unfavorable position, and Lysithea just returned from Gloucester territory after negotiations.

She heads to Edelgard’s chambers once she’s back at the monastery to deliver the results of her recent excursion. The door opens for her moments afterward, with Edelgard dressed out of her formal military regalia, but instead in an outfit more fit for other formal meetings. That must have composed most of her agenda for the day.

Edelgard takes in the sight of Lysithea once she opens the door, noticing how she has to look up ever so slightly to meet Lysithea’s eye. Lysithea’s grown a great deal during the past few years, losing that adolescent roundness to her face. Her features instead are much slimmer and better defined, and Edelgard’s noticed how that usual bratty pout on Lysithea’s lips from her academy days is now replaced with a calmer, collected, and focused expression. Growing up in the middle of war has certainly hardened Lysithea, from what Edelgard is able to see…

“You’ve returned from House Gloucester, I see,” Edelgard says in greeting. “I hope everything went well.”

“As well as to be expected, I guess,” Lysithea responds. She sets a hand on her waist, right above the sword belt drawn around her hip. Long gone are the innocent uniforms of the academy, instead replaced by the uniforms of the military. It only serves to make Lysithea look even more different than she did all those years ago. “They have capitulated, though the heir did not take too kindly to the terms that he would be expected to serve in the army should his house be called to arms.”

“So did he refuse?” Edelgard asks, resting a hand underneath her chin in thought. She picks up on how Lysithea refuses to say the name of the person in question.

“Initially, yes. Almost to the point of rage,” Lysithea reports. “He was persuaded after a long period of discussion, where he realized that the consequences for refusal were far worse than him swearing to fight for Empire should the unlikely occasion arise that we need his aid.”

“I see,” Edelgard muses, letting out a sigh. “Who was tasked with the negotiations with Lorenz?”

Lysithea doesn’t even flinch at his name. “Caspar and me, though I handled most of it when I discovered that Caspar’s approach was getting us nowhere.”

“And it wasn’t difficult for you, to corner your former classmate like that?” Edelgard asks out of curiosity.

Lysithea’s eyes narrow for a brief moment, though she brushes it off and shakes her head. “We have our goal, Edelgard. You know I won’t let something as trivial as old ties compromise my mission.”

“I know,” Edelgard sighs. “You know, Lysithea… If there’s ever anything you don’t want to do, I won’t force you to do it. We have many other allies in the Strike Force. One of them surely can take your place.”

This time, Lysithea narrows her eyes and doesn’t relent. “Are you questioning whether or not I’m up to the task?”

“Not at all. I’m merely letting you know that there are other ways to contribute to this war that are equally as important. You must have noticed how Marianne typically handles the stables and assists in the infirmary if necessary as opposed to doing anything too confrontational,” Edelgard says.

“I don’t know what brought this on, but I don’t think I care to find out,” Lysithea says in a dismissive voice, her agitation clear. “The written report will be delivered tomorrow morning. I’m finished here.”

Edelgard watches as Lysithea turns quick on her heel to walk away, and she reaches out for her as she leaves. “Lysithea— wait,” she says, setting her hand on Lysithea’s shoulder.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I have just returned from a long trip from Gloucester territory, and I would very much like to _ rest_,” Lysithea protests, her language becoming strictly professional. She tears her shoulder away from Edelgard’s touch and keeps walking.

Edelgard retracts her hand and lets out a disappointed sigh. “I’m not speaking to you as your emperor. I’m trying to speak to you as just Edelgard. Please, allow me to explain myself.”

That gets Lysithea to stop, but she doesn’t look over her shoulder. This is Edelgard’s one chance to remedy things, and Lysithea makes as much clear.

Edelgard exhales, lowering her gaze. “I could never question your abilities. You are easily the most dedicated to this cause out of everyone, and trust me, I can _ see _that. I wasn’t trying to insinuate otherwise. I’m merely concerned, Lysithea… I’ve watched you grow up during this war, and I don’t want this war to harden you to this world any more than it already has. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do the dirty work to prove yourself, either.”

Lysithea tenses for a moment at Edelgard’s words, but a few moments pass and then she deflates, losing all of her will to protest. “Everyone doubts me because they don’t think I’m loyal to the Empire… And the thing is, they’re right. I never pledged any loyalty to the Empire. But I did swear fealty to you, Edelgard— and your cause.”

“And I know how deep your loyalty lies,” Edelgard says, stepping closer so that she’s near Lysithea’s side. “You shouldn’t worry about how the others perceive you. They have no power to call any suspicion on you or to brand you a traitor. The only opinion of your loyalty that matters is mine. Unless you point the blade of your sword to my throat yourself, I will never think of you as anything less than one of my most devoted and trusted allies.”

“I’m sorry,” Lysithea lowers her head and lets out a sigh, her eyes falling shut.

Edelgard steps closer again, and she sets her hand gently on Lysithea’s arm. “You don’t need to pretend to be okay with things you aren’t just to prove yourself when you already have,” she says softly. “It won’t change my opinion of you in any way if you decide something is too much.”

Lysithea slowly turns her head towards Edelgard, focusing her gaze on the hand on her arm before looking up to meet Edelgard’s eye. Even if Edelgard’s features have lost the youthful innocence that Lysithea knew during the academy, she can still see the concern and care written in Edelgard’s eyes. That care tears down the rest of Lysithea’s resistance, and she places her trust in Edelgard to confide in her. “I’ll let you know…if something is ever too much for me.”

“I think of you as my friend, Lysithea,” Edelgard says. “I don’t want to see you become someone hardened and rendered heartless by war.”

“I won’t,” Lysithea vows. “I’ll do better.”

“Good,” Edelgard smiles briefly. “Now rest. You’ve done well.”

That gets a smile out of Lysithea, and she nods her head. “Thank you.”

Edelgard gives Lysithea’s arm a slight squeeze before letting go, her touch lingering on Lysithea’s body long after she walks away. 

Lysithea lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding once she’s alone, and she reflects on Edelgard’s words.

Lysithea has been so devoted to this war that she’s only ever seen Edelgard as her emperor and ally. Never once has she stopped and thought of her as a true friend, someone who cares about her and wants the best for her. It warms Lysithea’s heart knowing that, and she can feel a faint flutter in her chest the more she thinks about it.

She’ll have to start remembering that more.

* * *

_Four. _

Even when the tides of war finally seem to be changing now that the professor is back, Lysithea doesn’t sleep any easier.

In fact, she’s been sleeping worse as of late. It’s like someone had dug deep into her unconscious and pulled her old memories to the surface, forcing her to relive the moments of her youth, subjected to those experiments. Her nightmares carry these forgotten memories and refuse to let her get a restful sleep.

It’s one of those nights that end up being restless because of the darkness that plagues her sleep.

Lysithea wakes from her little sleep with a start, letting out a sharp gasp. She sits up, her chest heaving as she tries to level her breathing. She decides that her tiny room is too suffocating to be in right now, and she fetches a robe from her wardrobe and quickly ties it on. She pushes open the doors to her room and walks out, finding the fresh air to be an instant, albeit only small, relief. 

Lysithea wraps her arms around herself and lets out a shaky breath, stepping away from the dormitory to the pond. She sighs and kneels by the water, balancing on the balls of her feet and resting her arms on her legs. She peers into the water, seeing her reflection, and feels accosted by the sight of her white hair. It ignites the memories of the dreams she experienced, and she quickly stands up and moves away from the pond. 

That leaves her staring down the staircase to the second floor of the dormitory, and Lysithea swallows a dry lump in her throat. It feels like her dreams and memories are driving her crazy, and she feels awful with it filling her and haunting her. She wants to let it out, but there are so few people who know the truth behind her past. She can’t just throw this burden onto someone so late at night, can she?

But, she knows someone who understands perfectly well the horrors she went through. Lysithea wonders if it’s selfish to want to seek her out in the middle of night for comfort, but for some reason, Edelgard’s words from over five years ago ring in her memory in that moment.

_ If you ever find yourself needing aid, I'll be happy to give it. _

Lysithea steels herself with a deep exhale, and she starts for the staircase leading to the second floor of dorms. She makes her way toward Edelgard’s room, and she freezes in front of the door, her hand half-raised to knock. Squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her lips together into a firm line, Lysithea prays that Edelgard isn’t asleep yet and she softly knocks on the door, adding a whisper of Edelgard’s name to see if she is awake.

She can hear shuffling on the other side of the door and a quiet response that she’s on her way, and Lysithea steps back and wrings her hands together, her shoulders raised like she’s curling in on herself.

Edelgard opens the door moments later, dressed in a black robe much like Lysithea’s, except hers runs to the floor and has larger sleeves. “Lysithea,” Edelgard acknowledges her, and she raises a gloved hand to her mouth, covering her stunted yawn with her knuckles. “You’re up awfully late…”

“I…didn’t wake you, did I?” Lysithea asks, feeling guilty.

Edelgard meets Lysithea’s eyes, seeing the raw emotion in them. “No, please don’t worry about that. I was trying, but I wasn’t able to fall asleep yet.”

“Ah… sorry,” Lysithea says quietly, averting her gaze to the floor.

Edelgard frowns at the sight. She’s never seen Lysithea so vulnerable before, and it concerns her and fills her with a desire to help. She reaches out for Lysithea and beckons her inside with a gesture of her fingers. “Come in. We wouldn’t want to wake anyone by speaking in the halls.”

Lysithea nods, and she can feel Edelgard’s hand come to rest on her back once she moves to step inside. She doesn’t know if she relaxes or tenses more at the touch; everything still feels like a haze. 

“Is something the matter?” Edelgard asks, though she already knows the answer is ‘yes.’ 

Lysithea nods slowly, and she lets Edelgard guide her to her bed, where they both sit at the edge. “My dreams have kept me from sleeping well. They’re starting to affect me while I’m awake, too.”

Edelgard’s expression softens, and she runs her hand gently up and down Lysithea’s back. “Are they dreams of your past?”

Lysithea lifts her legs up onto the bed, pulling them close to her chest and hugging them. “I thought I was too young to form all these memories of what happened to me. Or maybe my mind is just filling in the gaps of what little I do remember, haunting me with something that isn't even real…”

“I’m sorry,” Edelgard says, her eyes filled with sympathetic sadness. 

“Do…Do the dreams ever go away?” Lysithea looks up at Edelgard, her expression pleading for some sort of solace.

Edelgard stays silent for a beat of pause, almost wanting to lie to ease Lysithea’s worries, but ultimately knowing that the truth, while painful, is better. “Never fully. I can barely say they get easier to manage. But there comes a time when you learn to cast away the past and learn to not let it continue to hurt you.”

“Of course,” Lysithea says bitterly. “Nothing can ever be easy…”

“Hey,” Edelgard reaches out, gently setting her hand on Lysithea’s cheek and tipping her head so Lysithea would meet her eye. “You won’t have to manage them alone, that’s for sure. Even just having the anchor of knowing someone is willing to listen whenever you do have those dreams will make things more manageable.”

Lysithea lets out a pointed exhale through her nose in protest, but she can’t find any real grounds to object on, so she just lets Edelgard’s words sink in and hopes that they’ll prove true one day. Instead, Lysithea glances over at the hand on her cheek, feeling the soft fabric of Edelgard’s white gloves against her skin. “Do you always sleep with gloves on?” she asks, unable to quell her curiosity.

Edelgard quickly pulls away her hand, but not fast enough to the point that it would startle Lysithea. She shakes her head, a sad smile rising to her lips. “No, I just have company right now.”

Lysithea’s eyebrows raise out of sympathy, realizing what the gloves are for. She frowns, and she looks down at her own hands. She sets her hand on her wrist and pushes down the sleeve of her robe, exposing the skin of her arms and the patchy blotches of skin that mar her wrist and the other jagged scars running up her arm. They look to be healed over and they’re stretched out from Lysithea growing over the years, but their existence is undeniable. 

“It’s just me, you know,” Lysithea says quietly, her eyes trained on her own scars. “You don’t need to worry about hiding yourself around me. I…I know it better than anyone else, what must lie under all that fabric. I cannot judge or turn away in disgust knowing the same marks exist on my own body,” she quirks a brow sadly, looking her arm over. “I was lucky enough to incur these brutal reminders at a young enough age where the passage of time and my growing body concealed most of it, but the signs still remain.”

Edelgard holds her hands to her chest, and she shakes her head. “I…I’m sorry. I can’t. Not yet.”

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s okay,” Lysithea says softly. “I would never force you. I just… I want you to know that if you ever did decide to let down your walls, I promise I won’t do anything to betray your trust with what you let me see. You have my word.”

No response comes from Edelgard in that moment. Instead, she gradually lowers her hands from her chest, faltering slightly as she does so. She lowers her head, casting her gaze to where Lysithea’s hand rests on the bed by her side. After a moment of pause, Edelgard reaches out and gently takes Lysithea’s hand, wordlessly pulling it closer. Tilting her head, Edelgard uses her other hand to slowly push the sleeve up Lysithea’s arm. Lysithea draws in a breath, though she doesn’t protest, not even when Edelgard’s gloved finger begins to travel across the blurred edges of Lysithea’s old scars, tracing where the boundaries between abused and unscathed skin lie. 

The gentle caress of the fabric of Edelgard’s glove against her skin feels like a lullaby, and Lysithea finds herself yielding to her touch. Her eyes close, and she lets out a breath like it’s her last defense. It’s close enough to lull her to sleep, and she feels those anxieties from before vanishing, a tired weight settling over her.

“Edelgard…” Lysithea whispers, looking up to meet Edelgard’s gaze, her features illuminated by the soft candlelight around them. “Will you let me stay?”

“If that’s what you wish,” Edelgard says. “But you need to rest.”

“I’ll…I’ll rest better if I’m here,” Lysithea admits after a moment’s hesitation, her voice quiet.

“Then you can stay,” Edelgard closes her hands over Lysithea’s until she moves to stand, and she walks over to extinguish the candles in her room. She returns to the bed and pulls down the top cover, sitting down and combing her fingers through her hair. She doesn’t do anything else, peering over her shoulder just far enough to barely see Lysithea in her peripherals, gauging her movements. 

Lysithea uses the darkness as a veil, slipping out of the robe that she wore over her nightwear. It seems that once Lysithea is turned away and in bed, Edelgard uses that window of opportunity to remove her own robe and to settle in under the large cover. Edelgard rests on her side, facing away from Lysithea and giving a fair space of room on the bed.

At first, Lysithea lays on her back, her head turned towards Edelgard, looking at the long, cascading locks of platinum hair that splays down her back. Lysithea only now registers it, but it feels like forever since she’s seen her hair down. She’s always envied the way Edelgard’s hair didn’t look as brittle and stark as hers, but in this moment, all she can think about is that growing urge inside of her to reach forward and card her fingers through Edelgard’s soft hair. She bites that urge down and turns her head away, closing her eyes and trying to find sleep.

After a while, Lysithea hears the bed shuffle slowly. She wonders if Edelgard knows she’s still awake, because now Edelgard’s facing her, and Lysithea feels a light brush against her wrist laying by her side. The touch is faintly warm, yet still feels cool, unlike the gloved fingers that trailed her skin before. Lysithea realizes Edelgard’s bare fingertips are lightly tracing the scar circling Lysithea’s wrist and the old gashes upon her forearm.

Lysithea’s breath hitches at the touch, and Edelgard freezes. But Lysithea merely turns her arm over, inviting her to continue and reassuring her it’s okay. After a few moments, Edelgard’s movements resume, and Lysithea lets out a soft, pleasant sigh.

No one’s ever touched the scars that mar her body— mostly because of her own refusal to have anyone near them— but Edelgard’s gentle, curious explorations of those marks are a comfort Lysithea never expects. She knows that, unlike everyone else, Edelgard won’t see her as broken or damaged because of those scars.

In fact, Edelgard sees her as strong. And she certainly won’t judge the old wounds that remain on her body.

Lysithea feels her heart beat a little faster in her chest, and she has to draw in a sharp breath, growing overwhelmed by the sudden emotions that take over her. She disguises that breath as a yawn and pretends to resituate herself on the bed.

A warmth spreads through Lysithea’s chest at each tender brush of Edelgard’s fingertips over her skin, and when Edelgard traces an old cut that once dug into Lysithea’s palm, Lysithea spreads her fingers and slots her hand with Edelgard’s, gently holding onto it. Just from that touch alone, Lysithea can feel the uneven, scarred skin of the back of Edelgard’s hand, and she can feel a twitch from Edelgard’s hand at the touch.

But Edelgard doesn’t pull away, and soon Lysithea finds herself lulled to sleep by soft strokes of Edelgard’s thumb against her hand.

* * *

_Five._

Their time left at the monastery is coming to an end.

Following the end of the war, the Imperial army and the Black Eagle Strike Force returns to the monastery, for it is the obvious resting point between the Kingdom and the Imperial capital. But this is only temporary just long enough for those who lived there during the war to be able to gather their belongings and prepare for the return back home,

Though, they also find the time to fit in a small celebration before the formal victory feast to be held back at the capital.

That night, after all the festivities are over and most people leave for their quarters, Lysithea finds herself heading towards a room that isn’t her own, finding herself in front of Edelgard’s door. She knocks and lets Edelgard know who’s visiting her, and the door opens for her shortly enough.

“I was a little worried at first that you were Sylvain after a few glasses of liquid courage trying his luck for the umpteenth time,” Edelgard says playfully upon opening the door. She’s already removed her crown, and now she works on undoing the twists and braids in her hair.

Lysithea shudders at the thought. “Geez— I feel bad for whoever is on the receiving end of that,” she eventually laughs.

Edelgard smiles and takes a step aside to let Lysithea come in. “I would offer you sweets that I smuggled from the dining hall, but someone else beat me to the punch when I tried to swipe some,” she laughs, a velvety sound that makes Lysithea smile.

Lysithea lets out an embarrassed laugh to be caught. “Well, if I don’t finish them all by tonight, you can have the rest, okay?”

“Don’t you want to save them for later in the week?” Edelgard finishes undoing one side of her hair and moves to the other. “Or, knowing how quickly you devour those, at least save them for tomorrow?”

“Now you’re just being mean,” Lysithea huffs, her cheeks growing a little red. She brushes Edelgard’s teasing off quickly however, and she shakes her head. “Actually, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about. I have to leave sooner than expected. I’m heading out in the morning.”

That smile on Edelgard’s face fades at the sudden news, and she blinks from surprise. “Is that so? How unfortunate. Is there any particular reason?”

Lysithea smiles sheepishly. “The second news spread about the Kingdom falling, my mother sent me a very strongly-worded letter that I absolutely _ must _ be home in time for her birthday. If I leave any later than tomorrow, I won’t make it in time.”

The story brings the smile back to Edelgard’s lips. “I see. Please send her along my best wishes. Though do let her know that I won’t take so kindly to the next time she tries taking away my most prized officer without my consent first.”

“I’d take that back, if I were you,” Lysithea laughs. “You may have taken down the Immaculate One, but you are no match for my mother when she’s angry.”

“Ah, forgive me for my ignorance then,” Edelgard teases fondly.

Lysithea lets that content grin rest on her features for a few moments before she turns more serious. “There’s a lot I have to do once I’m home as well. It saddens me to say it, but this might be goodbye for a short while.”

Edelgard’s own smile takes on a hint of sadness for a moment, but she masks it easily. “There’s nothing wrong with that. You have been away from home for almost six years now. This is a visit long overdue. You should enjoy your time with your family. Don’t worry about us,” she says, undoing her last braid and combing through her hair with her fingers.

“I’ll be sure to enjoy it, but I’m not returning just for a homecoming visit,” Lysithea shakes her head. “There’s a lot of work to be done. I spoke with Hubert, and we already have a plan set in motion. I’m going to try and gather any information I can on the Imperial nobles who were planted in our house that were actually members of those who slither in the dark. It’s been almost seventeen years since they left, but a lead is a lead. I do not think the trail has run cold just yet.”

“Business as usual, I see,” Edelgard says. “Soon I will have to start devoting my attention to those who slither in the dark as well.”

“I’ll be traveling home with a retainer who will stay with me during my time back home, but in actuality, he’ll be my contact with the rest of Hubert’s men so we can avoid a paper trail of me writing reports to Enbarr,” Lysithea explains. 

“That would be for the best, yes,” Edelgard nods. “Well, you seem to be all set then.”

Lysithea nods her head too. “Yes, but I won’t have time to let everyone know of my departure. I wanted to make sure I told you, though. I didn’t want you to think I deserted you the second the war was over.”

Edelgard manages a smile, and she steps closer to Lysithea. “I’m glad you did. I do wish we could have celebrated together for a little longer, though. You are a huge part of our success.”

Lysithea cracks a bashful smile. “Stop that… There’s no need to flatter me.”

“It’s the truth, not flattery,” Edelgard laughs softly. 

Glancing away, Lysithea scratches at her cheek, feeling her face heat up with a blush. “Well, anyways— I wanted to ask you something before I go.”

“Whatever you need,” Edelgard says in a gentle promise.

“I can’t leave a paper trail when it comes to the information I have to report, but… I hoped I could still write to you while I’m away. Not of anything having to do with work, but just about— you know…me,” Lysithea admits, a little unsure and nervous as she speaks.

Edelgard immediately lights up in a smile and sets her hand upon Lysithea’s arm. “That would mean a great deal to me, Lysithea. I would love it if you did send me a letter whenever you have the time.”

Lysithea lets out a relieved laugh, her eyes rising to meet Edelgard’s gaze, filled with warmth and admiration. “Good. It’ll help with how much I’m gonna miss you to hear from you every now and again.”

“I’ll miss you too,” Edelgard says, and she pulls Lysithea into her arms for a hug. 

Lysithea closes her eyes the moment she’s pulled into Edelgard’s arms, and she wraps her arms around Edelgard’s waist and holds her tight. She can feel her heart start to beat faster and a pleasant warmth wash over her to be held in Edelgard’s arms. She doesn’t want to let go, but she slowly loosens her arms when Edelgard starts to pull away, reluctantly letting her go.

Edelgard lets out a soft hum and glances upward, tapping her chin with a finger. Lysithea notices how Edelgard isn’t wearing her gloves, and it brings a slight smile to her face.

“If you address your letters to me, then that might cause your mail to be intercepted on the suspicion that it _ does _ contain sensitive information,” Edelgard muses aloud. She seems to ponder something over for a long moment, looking quite unsure until she finally musters a smile and returns her gaze to Lysithea. “I must ask a favor.”

“What is it?” Lysithea asks.

“When you send your letters to Enbarr, I ask that you address it to ‘El,’” Edelgard says. When she sees Lysithea’s confused look, she explains, her smile growing a little nervous. “That was an old nickname my family used to call me when I was younger. Only the professor knows of that name. Our letters will be safe if you use it instead…and I think I would rather like it if you called me that.”

“El, huh?” Lysithea repeats, trying the name out on her tongue. She soon grows to smile, her cheeks turning red. “It’s a pretty name.”

Edelgard lets out a warm laugh and looks away, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. “Please, now you’re the one with the flattery problem…”

“All right, El. I’ll make sure to do ask you ask,” Lysithea says. “I’ll write my first letter as soon as I’m there to let you know I arrived safely! And I’ll let my mother know of your birthday regards.”

“Perfect,” Edelgard says. “And don’t forget to enjoy yourself. A little time without productivity won’t harm you, Lysithea.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Lysithea pouts. “This isn’t the end, though. I’ll return to Enbarr soon enough. There is still a lot of work that must be done, and I’m not finished yet.”

“I’ll be waiting for the day you come back so we can start our mission anew,” Edelgard nods. 

Lysithea nods too, and she feels an ache in her chest at the thought of leaving. She’s spent so much time with Edelgard that it will feel empty without her, and all she has left will be the letters that they exchange. She knows full well of the responsibilities that await her back home, but she wants nothing more than to cast them away just so she can spend more time with Edelgard and not have to leave so soon.

That ache proving to be too much, Lysithea steps forward again and throws her arms around Edelgard in another hug, burying her face in the crook of Edelgard’s neck and pulling her as close as she can. Edelgard seems to sense the sadness in Lysithea’s movements, and she sets her hand on the back of Lysithea’s head, gently running her hand over Lysithea’s hair with a soft sigh. 

“Lysithea?” Edelgard says gently.

Lysithea lets out a soft noise of affirmation, not trusting herself to speak.

“Go fetch those sweets you took and bring them back here,” Edelgard says. “Let’s fit in one last celebration before you go.”

Lysithea slowly pulls away, looking at Edelgard, confused. But Edelgard just smiles, her hand moving from the back of Lysithea’s head to rest upon her cheek. “It’s okay. I don’t want this to be goodbye just yet either.”

Lysithea nods her head and gradually comes to smile, and she steps away before turning to leave.

Edelgard watches her go, and she feels a slight pang in her chest at the sight, even though she knows that she’ll return. 

But she also knows that the next time Lysithea leaves, then she won’t be seeing her for a while, and that fills Edelgard with a certain sadness unlike any other she’s felt before.

And Lysithea feels that sadness too.

* * *

_\+ One._

Edelgard should be happy. She knows this.

Yet… there’s a feeling of dread that pools inside of her. Of worry. And she _ hates _ how it’s there, because she knows it’s born solely of selfishness.

And still, Edelgard wants to be selfish just this once… She indulges just once, just to see— and if it’s not meant to be, then she will no longer indulge in that selfishness. 

But she cannot stop herself from making her way to Lysithea’s quarters in the royal castle. She shows enough self-restraint to wait until the sun has set and night has fallen, much like their other conversations have taken place, hoping that the familiar atmosphere would make this visit much less of a surprise. She raps her knuckles on Lysithea’s door after a moment’s pause, lowering her hand in front of her and clasping her hands together.

“You can come in,” Lysithea calls from the other side of the door.

Edelgard politely gives Lysithea a moment before she opens the door slowly, looking inside with caution to be sure Lysithea is ready for her. She sees how Lysithea sets her book on the table by her bed and lowers the blanket off of her lap, standing up to greet Edelgard. “Oh, Edelgard! It's you!”

When Edelgard sees Lysithea’s face, it still comes as a mild surprise how much she’s changed. Hanneman and Linhardt worked tirelessly alongside Lysithea to discover a way to remove her Crests, and their efforts eventually bore fruit. Lysithea no longer has her Crests, and the procedure to remove them had returned Lysithea’s body to a healthy state. Her skin is now a slightly warmer color, no longer as ghastly pale and now with a healthy redness to her features. Her hair even replenished its natural pigment, returning her hair to its original black. But the most drastic change of all is that wide smile that comes to Lysithea’s face nowadays, the likes of which Edelgard has never seen before.

And Lysithea is giving her that radiant smile, and Edelgard finds herself settling into a smile back, after the initial surprise wears off and she realizes she's staring. “Sorry—” Edelgard says. “I suppose the novelty of your new look hasn’t worn off for me yet.”

“It hasn’t worn off much for me, either,” Lysithea says, meeting Edelgard by the door and taking her hand. “Come on, sit! I don’t ever recall a time when you’ve visited my quarters before. What did you need to talk about?”

“Is this really the first time?” Edelgard muses, mostly to herself than to Lysithea. “I just wanted to check up on you and how you’ve been feeling lately. While the procedure was undoubtedly a success, I just want to make sure there were no drawbacks.”

“Ah, I guess you would be worried about that, seeing as you’ll eventually undergo the same thing,” Lysithea says, climbing onto her bed and crossing her legs. “I’ve been great, really. Nothing’s felt off at all.”

Edelgard smiles and takes a seat by the edge of the bed. “I’m happy to hear it. And no, that wasn’t for me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Oh,” Lysithea blinks, a little surprised yet grateful for the concern nonetheless. “Well, thank you. Though I must admit— it’s a little odd for you to come all this way just to ask how I’m doing. Isn’t that what Hubert’s for?” she teases.

Even if it is a tease, it stings a little for Edelgard. Is it really this unusual for her to take the initiative herself and visit someone like this? Perhaps she’s made a mistake by doing this at all, already giving herself away by acting so differently. “I had the time to come visit. Besides, when it comes to friends… I would much rather ask them myself than send Hubert.”

Lysithea smiles to hear it. “If you insist. I’m glad you came.”

Edelgard nods, feeling a bit more at ease. “I suppose I did come by because of a bit of curiosity on my end.”

“What for?”

“A world of opportunity has opened up for you. There is no war, and no revenge left to be sought. What awaits you now that you are free to do whatever you please, I wonder?” Edelgard asks.

Lysithea tilts her head and leans back a little, glancing up at the ceiling, pensive. “Now that’s a tough question… I never—never really imagined a plan for myself after the war. I…I didn’t think I’d make it.”

Edelgard exhales a deep, yet quiet breath, her eyebrows lifting in a show of sadness. “But you persevered despite it all. What is it you wish to do?”

“Well… I should probably visit my parents to let them know of the good news. I haven’t told them yet, just in case there actually were any complications. I think it’s also news best left to be delivered in person instead of through letters,” Lysithea grins, though she looks away shortly after, glancing down at her hands in her lap. “That doesn’t answer your question though, does it?”

Shaking her head, Edelgard at least offers a soft smile. “No, but that’s still good to know. I’m sure they’ll be beyond ecstatic at the news.”

“There’s…something else I wanted to do while I was there as well,” Lysithea adds after a nod. “The last time I returned to my parents’ estate, I helped draft and implement new policies to restore our land. Now, House Ordelia is in the midst of handing over our estate to the neighboring lords. I’m going to try to talk them into settling down somewhere new to call our home.”

“Oh?” Edelgard hums, intrigued. “Where to?”

“Enbarr,” Lysithea flashes a fleeting smile of uncertainty. “Look— I know that I’ve lost a lot of my power after removing my Crests, but… I’ve been training with Felix, and my physical strength is better than it’s ever been. And I can be useful to you in many other ways, too! So… I hope you’ll let me stay here alongside you…”

A response like that catches Edelgard off-guard, and her eyes widen for a moment before she schools her expression, yet she can’t quite hide that surprise in her voice. “You…wish to remain here?”

“If you’ll allow it, of course,” Lysithea says quietly, still uncertain. “I was worried that all of your questions were meant to gently push me away and to tell me I was dismissed from my duties here…”

Edelgard firmly shakes her head. “No, never… That was never my intention. I’m merely…surprised by your answer. Tell me, Lysithea— you’re not just staying because you think you owe it to me to stay, do you? I don’t want you to give up on everything else you could accomplish just because you think you have an obligation to me…”

“It’s not an _ obligation_,” Lysithea draws out the word, caught up in its connotation. “I just feel happiest here, alongside you— and the others, of course,” she hastily adds.

Edelgard manages a small grin. “If that is your truth, then it’s one I’ll gladly accept. I’ll admit… I’m rather relieved you wish to stay. I’m…sorry if my questions made it sound like I was trying to urge you to leave,” she lets out a breath, feeling her nerves begin to catch up to her. However, she swallows them down, allowing herself to admit her true intentions. “In fact, my mission in coming here was to do the exact opposite. I was…afraid you would leave, as selfish it is of me to say. I would miss your company terribly if you decided to leave here, but… who am I to keep you from experiencing the world and living the life you wish to live?” she lets out a wry laugh and shakes her head, lowering her gaze and closing her eyes. “Ah… Now I feel I must apologize for something I didn’t even do. It sounds so selfish of me, voicing this aloud…”

Lysithea’s features soften as she looks at Edelgard, and she searches Edelgard’s expression for a short while, trying to read her feelings from there. Eventually she looks away and pushes herself to the other side of the bed once she’s found her answers, standing up and walking toward the desk in her quarters.

Edelgard stiffens when Lysithea turns her back to her and walks away, and she clenches her fists in her lap. “Please, forgive my foolishness. I don't even know what I was saying—”

“El,” Lysithea gently interrupts, glancing over her shoulder to look at Edelgard. “You don't have to apologize. I think I know what you're trying to say, and I might have something that will ease your worries…”

Edelgard pauses when she hears that name from Lysithea’s lips. That name alone is enough to let Edelgard’s shoulders relax and her fists flatten out, though a part of her still feels a small amount of nerves at what Lysithea has in store for her. She watches as Lysithea opens a drawer of her desk and tampers with something inside. Edelgard’s eyes watch Lysithea’s hands carefully when they leave the drawer, but her one hand is clasped securely, hiding whatever it is she's holding from Edelgard’s sight. 

Lysithea walks back to her bed, but instead of sitting in the middle like before, she makes a point to sit at the edge right beside Edelgard, crossing her legs as she faces her completely. “I couldn't tell you what all I have planned for myself now that everything seems to be at peace. All this time, I've been fighting for a future I thought I'd never belong in, and now that I have this time ahead of me, I barely know what to do with it. But even with that uncertainty, there was one thing I wished for myself now that I have a real life to live…”

Lysithea draws in a breath and looks down at her hand, still concealing the object inside, yet the hint of a grin lays upon her lips. “El… it was through your ambition that I was able to find a cause to believe in, it was through your kindness that I could protect myself from the harsh realities of war, and it was through your aid that the countless years of my life that I had stolen from me were restored. Every second of life that has been returned to me, I want to devote to you…”

Slowly, Lysithea unfurls her fingers to reveal the ring sitting upon her palm, and she takes the ring and holds it between herself and Edelgard. The band is a pristine silver, and there are two stones of pink and lavender that are intertwined with each other. 

“If you’ll have me, I vow to never leave your side until the day I no longer draw breath, and hopefully, that day isn’t for decades to come. Will you choose to stay by my side too?” Lysithea asks, her eyes full of hope and tenderness.

Edelgard’s eyes widen from Lysithea’s heartfelt words, and she lets out a soft gasp when presented with the ring. Her hand rises over her mouth, her fingers trembling ever so slightly in front of her parted lips, and she stares wordlessly at the ring, unable to bring herself to say anything.

The smile upon Lysithea’s lips vanishes when she sees tears welling in Edelgard’s reddened eyes. “Edelgard, you…you're crying,” she whispers, all too aware of her bold claim that the version of her who cried died years ago.

Edelgard shakes her head, lowering her hand and bringing herself to smile. “Only from happiness, I promise. _ Yes_, Lysithea— I accept.”

Lysithea’s eyes widen from surprise to hear it, and her smile widens too. She takes her free hand and reaches out for Edelgard’s own, but Edelgard moves faster than she can. Edelgard sets one hand over the one holding the ring, and the other comes to rest on Lysithea’s cheek, and the next thing Lysithea knows, Edelgard pulls her close, joining her lips with Lysithea’s.

While completely unexpected, Lysithea easily relaxes in Edelgard’s embrace, closing her eyes and leaning into the kiss. Her free hand drifts upwards to settle at the back of Edelgard’s neck, and she feels a wave of relief and warmth wash over her like the calming ocean tides.

Edelgard pulls away slowly, not bringing herself to open her eyes just yet. Instead, she just basks in the closeness with Lysithea, cradling her cheek so tenderly, unable to break too far away from her. 

“I couldn't bear the thought that I might have to watch you leave,” Edelgard admits in a quiet whisper, almost lost to the air around them.

“And I couldn't bear the thought that you might push me away because I had lost my power,” Lysithea whispers, lowering her head.

“I am so sorry for _ ever _ making you think I would cast you aside over something as trivial as magic power,” Edelgard sinks down and wraps her arms around Lysithea in a tight hug, one hand resting on the back of her head. “I would have been ecstatic if I could have you as my advisor, my scholar-in-residence, _ anything, _ as long as you were still by my side. But now… I am so, so happy to have you as my wife.”

Lysithea settles into Edelgard’s arms with a soft laugh, a warmth brewing inside her and reddening her cheeks to hear those words from her lips.

“Oh? What's so funny?” Edelgard says.

“Nothing,” Lysithea laughs a little more, pulling back to face Edelgard with a wide grin. “Hearing you call me your wife… it just feels so surreal.”

Edelgard looks at Lysithea with a warm fondness in her eye, and she reaches out to brush the hair out of Lysithea’s face, enjoying the feeling of her fingers carding through the silky black locks. “Lysithea… Did you really mean it when you said you would devote the rest of your life to me?”

Lysithea leans into Edelgard’s touch, her eyes filled with the very same tenderness. “You know, I never wanted to fall in love before, because I knew the heartbreak that shortly awaited whoever I would be with. But now… I can only think about how much I love you, and how much I want to share all the time that was granted to me with you.”

Edelgard smiles softly. “Please allow me to wear the ring, my love.”

Nodding her head, Lysithea gently takes Edelgard’s left hand— bare and free from her gloves— and sets the ring upon her finger. She glances up at Edelgard once the ring is in place, a breathlessness filling her chest that makes her feel like she's flying, and Edelgard’s gaze soon lifts to meet hers as well.

“Don’t leave just yet,” Lysithea requests, lacing their fingers together. Her thumb slowly treads over the scars on Edelgard’s hand. “I don't want to be without your company so soon.”

“Only if I’m not taking up too much of your time,” Edelgard says, squeezing their entwined hands.

“Me?” Lysithea lets out a soft laugh, smiling as widely as she can muster. “I got all the time in the world.”


End file.
